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1) Tony Banks founded Genesis with Charterhouse classmates Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips, and others.
His solo works meander from albums that sound like whatever Genesis were doing at a similar time (A Curious Feeling, The Fugitive, Bankstatement, Still, Strictly Incognito) to film soundtracks (Soundtracks, The Wicked Lady). He has also now released three albums of classical music: Seven (A Suite for Orchestra), Six Pieces for Orchestra, and 5.
Most of his albums feature a troupe of singers (most notably Fish, formerly of Marillion), although he does occasionally provide his own vocal (The Fugitive being the only one he sings entirely himself). Additional musicians vary per album.
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2) Rapper, Songwriter and Producer Jay Light (formerly known as Music Bear Tony Banks) is a Toronto-based New Yorker who has found fresh musical freedom in the electronic music world.
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3) Ant or Anthony Banks is a hip_hop artist and producer from Berkeley, California.
Somebody Else
Tony Banks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A voice from the past has been heard again,
Whether its real or not, I can't say I care
But my memory's going and my mind is losing it's grip.
I'm walking on thinning ice.
Soon I shall be taken down, drowned in blind ignorance.
It's hard to bear but harder still
To tell the one I care for,
Please to say love is here today, but it's going away, going away.
How can I fight a fire that comes from inside myself
That threatens a total end.
So much to lose when I still had so much to learn.
Its hard to bear but harder still
To tell the one I care for.
Please to say love is here today, but it's going away, going away.
Millions of people won't know what I mean,
None can appreciate somebody else's dream.
Thousands of reasons for staying alive
Explode into fragments,
Dissolve into nothing.
As I prepare for the oncoming night.
Already I feel a creeping coldness chilling my bones,
Dulling my sight and mind.
Soon there shall be only sand where once water flowed.
Nature dies and is reborn, but I shan't weather this coming storm.
Not for me to die with children around my bed
After a happy life,
Though rain will fall and the sun won't change in its course.
It's hard to bear but harder still
To tell the one I care for,
Please to say love is here today, but it's going away, going away.
Millions of people won't know what I mean,
None can appreciate somebody else's dream.
Thousands of reasons for staying alive
Explode into fragments,
Dissolve into nothing.
As I prepare for the oncoming night.
In Tony Banks’s “Somebody Else’s Dream,” the song is told from the point of view of someone who is dealing with the realization that their time on earth is limited. The singer grapples with the idea that they must come to terms with difficult emotions, including loss and regret. The lyrics begin by acknowledging the fact that some things are “too good to last,” and that the singer is aware that their life, in particular, is coming to an end. The singer describes losing their grip on reality and memory, feeling like they are walking on “thinning ice,” and soon will be “taken down, drowned in blind ignorance.”
The chorus of the song is a haunting refrain that speaks to the impermanence of life and love, saying “please to say love is here today, but it’s going away, going away.” The singer seems to be grappling with feelings of anger about their own mortality, saying that “how can I fight a fire that comes from inside myself that threatens a total end.” The song touches on the idea that the singer has so much left to learn and explore, but that their time is running out, making it all the harder to accept.
As the singer prepares for death, they acknowledge that their own loss will be understood only by them and that their passing will mark the demise of “somebody else’s dream.” Though the reality of mortality is a difficult pill to swallow, Tony Banks’s compelling lyrics speak to the universal emotions of loss and regret that we all must eventually face.
Line by Line Meaning
Too good to last, how those four words ring in my ears.
I can't believe something so amazing could actually be happening to me.
A voice from the past has been heard again,
Someone I haven't spoken to in a while has contacted me.
Whether its real or not, I can't say I care
I'm willing to hold onto any hope, even if it might be false.
But my memory's going and my mind is losing it's grip.
I'm starting to forget important things and I can't think as clearly as I used to.
I'm walking on thinning ice.
I'm treading on dangerous territory and I know that I could fall through at any moment.
Soon I shall be taken down, drowned in blind ignorance.
Eventually, my lack of knowledge or understanding of something will lead to my downfall.
It's hard to bear but harder still to tell the one I care for,
It's difficult to keep my fears and worries to myself, especially when I love someone and want to confide in them.
Please to say love is here today, but it's going away, going away.
Even though love may be present now, it won't last forever and could disappear at any moment.
How can I fight a fire that comes from inside myself
It's impossible to stop my own internal struggles and conflicts.
That threatens a total end.
These internal struggles could lead to complete destruction of myself or a situation.
So much to lose when I still had so much to learn.
I have so many things to lose and experience, but I'm afraid that my shortcomings or inexperience will hold me back.
Millions of people won't know what I mean,
Many people won't understand my specific struggles or worries.
None can appreciate somebody else's dream.
No one can truly understand someone else's hopes or aspirations, as they are deeply personal and unique.
Thousands of reasons for staying alive
There are countless reasons to continue living and experiencing life to the fullest,
Explode into fragments,
Yet, they can easily shatter and disappear in an instant.
Dissolve into nothing.
These reasons can easily evaporate and leave us feeling empty.
As I prepare for the oncoming night.
I'm getting ready for a dark and uncertain future.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TONY BANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Wicks
Easily for me the best track on the album, probably my all time favorite Banks solo effort, as well as a personal favorite Top 5 song, period. Chester’s contribution is magical and awesome, while Kim knocks it out of the park on the vocals. Love love love this song. ❤️❤️❤️
Tee Lu Rizzo
Agree. This is a superb track, a masterpiece actually.
Los Endos
Id say the 2nd best track -- the pent-up opening anticipation/fervor of 'You', that just erupts into a Banks euphoric keyboard frenzy (to take the song home), surely must be the album's zenith.
Alessandro Pesci
The piano break from 3:40 to 4:05 is just amazing!!!
Dave Scott
Shockingly manic-depressive album. Used to listen under headphones - at (then) high volume. Kim Beacon followed every key change Tony Banks could throw at him. Lyrics that make you think. I suppose I regard lyrics as modern poetry, but this can be hard to take. Ignored the oncoming night, forged on, and here I am 40 or so years later. Still remember, though!.
Paul Gogo
I bought this at the time when I was 13.
It freaked me out and I could relate.
Sounds great today.
malcolm godfrey
best track on the album. it's a true composition
david garione
This is one of the highlight points of the album. .
Scott Huhn
This album truly wonderful It touched my heart thanks tony
diah
One of my fav song from this album ❤